Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA : 1861 - 1954) Tuesday 19 July 192124305

MR. LOUIS SPEHR.    

Mr. Louis Spehr, of Woomera, Fur-
ner, a pioneer resident of the Millicent
district, and one who was very widely
known, and respected, died suddenly on
Wednesday morning, July 13. Mr.
Spehr, although 79 years old, was of
powerful physique, and apparently en-
joyed robust health. For many years
he was in a position to take life easily,
but, he was never so happy as when at
work, and the harder the toil the better
he liked it. Recently he commenced  
ploughing a small paddock opposite his  
residence. When chaffed by his friends
regarding his love for manual exercise  
of that kind, he remarked that he was  
rather sorry he had commenced the job,
but having begun he intended to finish
it. He added, however, that it would
be his last attempt at ploughing. That
was only too true. Mr. Spehr com-
menced work on Wednesday morning,
and an hour later, about 9.30 o'clock,
Mr. M. S. McDonald found him lying
dead across the plough. He had com-
pleted one round of the paddock, and
whilst turning for a second round he
was evidently overcome by a heart at-
tack, and expired immediately. Mount
ed-Constable Ward, of Millicent, made
the usual enquiries, and a coroner's
certificate of death was issued in due
course. Mr. Spehr was born on March
29, 1842, at Zellerfelt, Hanover. His
parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. C. H.
Spehr, came to South Australia when
he was 12 years old. The family re-  
mained in the Adelaide district for
several years, and came to Mount Gam-
bier in the early Sixties, where they
engaged in farming operations at O.B.
Flat. When the drained lands at Mil-
licent were opened for selection, Mr.
Louis Spehr was one of the first ar-
rivals. He took up land opposite the
"Willowbank" residence, which was
afterwards sold to Mr. Walsgott. Re-
turning to Mount Gambier he paid £35
per acre for a farm at O.B. Flat. The
seasons, however, were against him
there, and after he had lost a couple
of thousand pounds he sold out and
went to the Horsham district, where
he was fairly successful. He returned
to the Millicent district some years
afterwards, and took up land at Furner,
where he remained until his death. He
built a beautiful home at "Woomera,"
and fortune smiled on all his under-
takings. He was a keen student of
public affairs. He could talk intelli-
gently and eloquently on a wide variety
of subjects, and with a shrewd and
active brain he combined many sterling
qualities. He was twice married. The
only issue of the first marriage was a    
son, Mr. A. L. E. Spehr, of "Nora-    
manoo," Furner. and now of Mount
Gambier also. He leaves a widow and  
two step-daughters, Misses May and  
Doris Wehl. The remains were remov-
ed to. St. Paul's Lutheran church on
Thursday, and the funeral left there  
for theMillicent cemetery on Friday.
The Rev. F. W. Matschoss conducted
the burial service. Mr. Spehr's parents  
died in 1897 and 1899, aged 83 and 85
years, respectively. Mr. L. Spehr was
a brother of Mr. A. C. Spehr, of Helen-
street, Mount Gambier.